Between midrange and high-end graphics cards lies a barren wasteland where products known as "tweeners" go to die. Historically, there have been two main price-points for 3D cards: $200 and whatever else the market would bear for the top-end, bragging-rights-be-mine "glory SKU."

Squeezed from both sides, products in the $250–400 price-range rarely, if ever, have fared well in the market. This time around, with top-end cards approaching $650, these relatively lower price points start to look attractive for those initially seeking bragging-rights until sticker-shock sets in.